A SVBIED detonated in the capital at a Mogadishu checkpoint killing 4 people this afternoon.
This checkpoint is the access point for several key buildings – Interior Ministry, Traffic Police HQs, Parliament. The Presidential Palace is also served by the same junction a short distance away.
Al-Shabaab is opting the strategy of SVBIED and RCVBIED with low scale human casualties as a choice weapon.
Minimum civilians casualties at strategic scenes or targets that have symbolic value are excellent ‘fear sponsors and amplifiers’.
Vehicles to convert into such weapons seem quite available while the bomb making technology besides the expertise (manpower) is also abundant.
The increase in the use of these RCVBIED and SVBIED attacks is an indicator of a long term strategy whose objective is to weaken the hearts and minds of Somali’s.
Mogadishu
